Norfolk St

Florida vs Norfolk St: Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 20:29:32 -0700

(7) Florida vs. (15) Norfolk State: West Region

Records

Florida 24-10, 10-6 SEC (At large)

Norfolk State 26-9, 13-3 MEAC (Conference Tournament Champions)

Time: 6:10 p.m. Sunday

TV: TNT

Location: CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Neb.

First round results

Florida def. Virginia, 71-45

Norfolk State def. Missouri, 86-84

Winner will face: (3) Marquette or (6) Murray State, Thursday in Phoenix

Rankings

Florida No. 25 AP; No. 21 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

RPI Ratings

Florida 21

Norfolk State 131

Line: Florida -14 (O/U 141)

Players to Watch

Florida: G Erving Walker, 5-8 Sr. (12.1 ppg, 4.7 apg, 37.1% 3s); G Kenny Boynton, 6-2 Jr. (16.3 ppg, 2.5 apg, 42.7% 3s); C Patric Young, 6-9 So. (10.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 60.8% FG). The Gators are at their best when Young is aggressive – and he was on Friday. He made all six of his field goals for 13 points. He also had seven rebounds, including three on the offensive end.

Norfolk State: C Kyle O’Quinn, 6-10 Sr. (15.9 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 2.7 bpg); G Pendarvis Williams, 6-6 So. (11.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.5 apg); G/F Chris McEachin, 6-6 Sr. (12.8 ppg, 1.3 spg, 34.1% 3s). All season, experts were wondering why teams couldn’t take advantage of Missouri’s size disparity. On Friday, O’Quinn showed everyone else how it’s done with 26 points (on 10-of-16 from the field), 14 rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. The Jamaica, N.Y., native has now shot 50 percent or better in six straight games and has made 58.3 percent of his shots this season.

Why Each Team Dangerous

Florida: It seems like a loss gave the Gators confidence. After being blown out by Kentucky twice this season, Florida played the No. 1 Wildcats close on March 9. In their first game since, the Gators shot 52.8 percent and scored 71 points against one of the best defenses in the country. Florida, which shoots 46.2 percent from the field and 38.4 from 3, made 24 of their 30 2-point shots and dominated the paint against the Cavs. They also out-rebounded them 36-21 and forced 13 turnovers. That’s a good sign, because for the year, Florida gets 38.5 percent of its points from behind the 3-point line. For the year, Florida has a 1.4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Norfolk State: The Spartans have won eight straight games and have proven they can play with good teams. As well as beating Missouri Friday, Norfolk State played Marquette within two points and beat Drexel in November. On Friday, they shot 54 percent from the field, 53 percent from the 3-point line and out-performed Missouri 35-23 on the glass.

Why Each Team is Vulnerable

Florida: The win over Virginia probably needs to be put into perspective. With a plethora of injuries, the Cavs haven’t been the same team for about a month. Despite its performance on Friday, Florida is an average-to-weak rebounding team. The Gators out-rebounds opponents by just 2.5 per game. Against O’Quinn and the Spartans, that number could haunt them. Florida’s overall defense is pretty good. It gives up only 43.2 percent from the floor. However, teams shoot 35 percent from 3 and make 6.2 3-pointers per game against it.

Norfolk State: Despite Friday’s performance, this is not a great shooting team. For the year, NSU is shooting just 44 percent from the floor, 31.8 percent from behind the 3-point line and 65.4 percent from the foul line. The Spartans average just one point per possession, so the argument that Friday’s offensive performance was a fluke may be legit. Even with O’Quinn, who is a great player and rebounder, Norfolk is not a great rebounding team. They out-rebounded their MEAC opponents by just 2.3 per game and they allow opponents to rebound 32.5 percent of their own misses.

The Bottom Line: The Spartans simply don’t have enough offensive talent to do it again. Do they?

The Pick: Florida 79, Norfolk State 61

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 216-165-6 (Through Friday, March 17)

Round of 32 Against the Spread: 19-12-1

Missouri vs Norfolk St: Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 06:13:29 -0700

(2) Missouri vs. (15) Norfolk State: West Region

Records

Missouri 30-4, 14-4 Big 12 (Conference Tournament Champions)

Norfolk State 25-9, 13-3 (Conference Tournament Champions)

Time: 4:40 p.m. Friday

TV: TNT

Location: CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Neb.

Winner will face: (7) Florida or (10) Virginia, Sunday

Rankings

Missouri No. 3 AP; No. 3 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

RPI Ratings

Missouri 11

Norfolk State 132

Line: Missouri -21½ (O/U 145)

Players to Watch

Missouri: G Marcus Denmon, 6-3 Sr. (17.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 40.9% 3s); F Ricardo Ratliffe, 6-8 Sr. (13.9 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 69.3% FG); G Phil Pressey, 5-10 So. (10 ppg, 6.3 apg, 2.1 spg). Pressey, who was strangely left off of the All-Big 12 team, is the engine that makes the Tigers go. In Saturday’s 90-75 Big 12 Tournament title game win over Baylor, Pressey proved it with 15 points, eight assists, five rebounds and a pair of steals.

Norfolk State: C Kyle O’Quinn, 6-10 Sr. (15.9 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 58.3% FG); G Pendarvis Williams, 6-6 So. (11.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.5 apg); F Rob Johnson, 6-7 Sr. (6.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 45.7% FG). O’Quinn earned the MEAC Player of the Year honor by leading the Spartans in minutes played, scoring, rebounding, blocked shots (2.7 per game) and field goal percentage. His 10.4 rebounds per game is 10^th in the country.

Why Each Team Dangerous

Missouri: The Tigers are an incredible shooting team: 50.4 percent from the floor, which is second in the country, 39.5 from deep (14^th nationally) and 76.6 from the foul line (eighth in the country). They made more free throws than their opponents attempted (546-516). They have a 16.2-to-10.3 assist-to-turnover ratio and a 14.4-to-10.3 turnover margin. Missouri shares the ball well and five different Tigers average double-figures scoring.

Norfolk State: The Spartans enter Friday’s game having won seven straight and nine of their last 10. They lost a 2-point game to 3-seed Marquette on a neutral floor and beat TCU by 13 points. This is a Norfolk State team that believes it can be competitive against top teams. O’Quinn and provides scoring and toughness.

Why Each Team is Vulnerable

Missouri: Although Michael Dixon and Matt Pressey are very good off of the bench, that’s it as far as Missouri’s depth. The Tigers have just two regulars who are 6-8 or taller and no one taller than 6-9. Six-foot-6 Kim English has been forced to play power forward most of the season. While he’s done a fine job in doing so, bigger, stronger teams could take advantage of this.

Norfolk State: The Spartans are not a good offensive team. They score just 69 points per game in one of the worst conferences in the country. They are shooting 44.3 percent from the floor and just 31.1 percent from beyond the 3-point line. Despite O’Quinn’s rebounding ability, Norfolk out-rebounded opponents just 39.8-to-38.3 per game. And the Spartans turn the ball over 3.3 times more per game than they have assists.

The Bottom Line: This is one of the biggest mismatches of the first round. Not even 22 points can keep me from taking Mizzou.

The Pick: Missouri 81, Norfolk State 51

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 198-150-6 (Through Tuesday, March 14)

Conference Finals Predictions: Big 12, Big East, Pac-12 & More

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 23:52:34 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. Here are is predictions for Saturday's conference championship game. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

AMERICA EAST FINAL: AT STONY BROOK

(2) Vermont (22-11, 13-3) at (1) Stony Brook (22-8, 14-2)

Tipoff: 11:02 a.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 2 – Stony Brook 65-59; Feb. 12 – Vermont 68-49. RPI: Stony Brook 141, Vermont 156. Analysis: Vermont has been great for the last month-and-a-half and will break the hearts of the Seawolves home faithful. Line: Stony Brook -3½. Pick: Vermont 63, Stony Brook 58.

BIG 12 FINAL: AT KANSAS CITY

(2) Missouri (28-4, 14-4) vs. (4) Baylor (27-6, 12-6)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 21 – Missouri 89-88*; Feb. 11 – Missouri 72-57. RPI: Baylor 8, Missouri 17. Analysis: I picked Baylor the first two times. Sticking with the Bears. Pick: Baylor 79, Missouri 74.

BIG EAST FINAL: AT NEW YORK CITY

(4) Cincinnati (24-9, 12-6) vs. (7) Louisville (25-9, 10-8)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 23 – Cincinnati 60-56. RPI: Louisville 18, Cincinnati 40. Analysis: Louisville’s stifling defense has carried the Cardinals this far. A Big East title is next. Pick: Louisville 59, Cincinnati 53.

BIG WEST FINAL: AT ANAHEIM

(1) Long Beach State (24-8, 15-1) vs. (2) UC-Santa Barbara (20-9, 12-4)

Tipoff: 10 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 21 – Long Beach 71-48*; Feb. 22 – Long Beach 70-58. RPI: Long Beach 38, UCSB 126. Analysis: Do you think the 49ers have been looking forward to this game for a full year? They want blood – and they’ll get blood. Pick: Long Beach State 75, UC-Santa Barbara 54.

CONFERENCE USA FINAL: AT MEMPHIS

(1) Memphis (25-8, 13-3) vs. (6) Marshall (21-12, 9-7)

Tipoff: 11:35 a.m. TV: CBS. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 28 – Memphis 83-76; Feb. 25 – Memphis 87-67*. RPI: Memphis 16, Marshall 39. Analysis: The Memphis we’ve seen since the beginning of February is the Memphis we expected to see all season. Line: Memphis -9½. Pick: Memphis 90, Marshall 69.

MAC FINAL: AT CLEVELAND

(1) Akron (22-10, 13-3) vs. (3) Ohio (25-7, 11-5)

Tipoff: 8 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Akron 68-63; Feb. 26 – Ohio 85-61. RPI: Akron 50, Ohio 68. Analysis: Ohio had a disappointing regular season. It will be a memory because the Bobcats are going dancing. Pick: Ohio 75, Akron 68.

MEAC FINAL: AT WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.

(2) Norfolk State (24-9, 13-3) vs. (4) Bethune-Cookman (18-16, 11-5)

Tipoff: 1 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 25 – Norfolk State 75-72*. RPI: Norfolk State 134, B-C 243. Analysis: Norfolk is the class of the MEAC. Pick: Norfolk State 78, Bethune-Cookman 66.

MOUNTAIN WEST FINAL: AT LAS VEGAS

(1) San Diego State (26-6, 10-4) vs. (2) New Mexico (25-6, 10-4)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: NBC Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 18 – San Diego State 75-70*; Feb. 15 – New Mexico 77-67*. RPI: San Diego State 22, New Mexico 34. Analysis: How good did the Pack look in a virtual road game on Friday? Whoa! Pick: New Mexico 79, San Diego State 73.

PAC-12 FINAL: AT LOS ANGELES

(4) Arizona (23-10, 12-6) vs. (6) Colorado (22-11, 11-7)

Tipoff: 6:10 p.m. TV: CBS. Regular-season meetings: Jan 21 – Colorado 64-63; Feb. 9 – Arizona 71-57. RPI: Colorado 77, Arizona 84. Analysis: How does the Pac-12 deserve more than one team? Anyway, this one is a toss-up. Pick: Arizona 63, Colorado 58.

SOUTHLAND FINAL: AT KATY, TEXAS

(3) Lamar (22-11, 11-5) vs. (4) McNeese State (17-14, 10-6)

Tipoff: 3 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 11 – McNeese 57-54; March 3 – Lamar 78-68. RPI: Lamar 118, McNeese 177. Analysis: Did you see what the Cowboys did to the UTA, which dominated the league all season? Take the points. Line: Lamar -5½. Pick: McNeese State 71, Lamar 69.

SWAC FINAL: AT GARLAND, TEXAS

(1) Mississippi Valley State (20-12, 17-1) vs. (2) Texas Southern (17-14, 13-5)

Tipoff: 8 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 23 – MVSU 77-69 (OT)*; Feb. 20 – MVSU 56-53. RPI: MVSU 153, Texas Southern 231. Analysis: Valley wins, but the Tigers cover. Pick: Mississippi Valley State 60, Texas Southern 59.

WAC FINAL: AT LAS VEGAS

(2) New Mexico State (25-9, 10-4) vs. (5) Louisiana Tech (18-15, 6-8)

Tipoff: Midnight. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 7 – NMSU 83-73*; Feb. 4 – NMSU 83-72. RPI: New Mexico State 69, Louisiana Tech 170. Analysis: Been saying all year that the Aggies would win this tournament. Nevada’s elimination only solidifies that. Pick: New Mexico State 84, Louisiana Tech 72.

#8 Georgetown vs. #18 Notre Dame: Monday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 21:01:03 -0800

The current era of college sports means that fans have become used to conference foes meeting for the first time in a season in late February, as is the case with #18 Notre Dame (20-9, 12-4) visiting #8 Georgetown (21-6, 11-5) on Monday night. Both teams lost games in the tri-state area over the last five days with the Hoyas getting blown out at Seton Hall and Notre Dame losing at St. John's on Saturday, but these are still teams that can make noise in New York next week. On the line at the Verizon Center is (at the very least) the inside track for one of the two remaining double-byes in the Big East Championship, a perk Mike Brey's team would clinch with a win.

Neither team was expected to be in this position early in the season, with the prognosticators selecting the Hoyas to finish tenth in the Big East and Notre Dame expected by many to be an NIT team (or worse) when Tim Abromaitis went down with a torn ACL. That's why both head coaches, Brey and John Thompson III, have to be considered Big East Coach of the Year candidates and while the teams have different styles the tempo's about the same. Georgetown will use their big man, senior center Henry Sims, as a distributor within their system and he's done well in the role.

Sims leads the team with an average of 3.4 assists per game while also scoring 11.3 points and grabbing 5.5 rebounds, a far cry from the numbers he put up in his first three seasons as a Hoya. Sims' emergence has relieved some of the pressure on Jason Clark and Hollis Thompson offensively while also giving Georgetown an added dimension at the five that was missing with Julian Vaughn there last season. Both Clark and Thompson, who lead the team in scoring, shoot better than 48% from the field and no Hoya who averages 19 minutes or more per game shoots worse than 45.5%.

Notre Dame has become well-known for their "burn" offense, a system first instituted when Luke Harangody went down with a knee injury two seasons ago. The move got the Irish to the NCAA tournament that season, but at this point it's difficult to figure out if Notre Dame is running the special offense of if this is just how they play at this stage. Young guards Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant have been major factors for the Irish, and their maturation has resulted in Notre Dame being a better team than many anticipated. The primary frontcourt scorer is Jack Cooley, a 6'9" forward who has no problem with physical play and shoots 62.8% from the field.

One area the Hoyas have to keep an eye on defensively is the three-point line, as Notre Dame has some players who can get hot from deep. Their percentage of 33.2% may not be the best (Georgetown shoots 35.1%) but Notre Dame isn't shy about putting shots up, with Atkins, Pat Connaughton and Alex Dragicevich being three of the most likely options. The Irish have done a good job of taking care of the basketball (10.0 turnovers per game) and they'll need to continue that against a Georgetown team that forces turnovers on 20.8% of their opponents' possessions as well as keep the Hoyas off the offensive glass (Hoyas have an OR% of 36.4%) in order to win.

#5 Kansas will look to keep on the right track towards a one-seed in the NCAA tournament with a win at Oklahoma State, and #14 Baylor shouldn't have a problem with Texas Tech in Waco. Mississippi Valley State looks to move to 17-0 in SWAC play as they visit Jackson State, with last week's hero (Paul Crosby) having the versatility to have an impact in multiple facets of the area.

In the MEAC there are two games remaining in the regular season with three teams separated by a game atop the standings. Savannah State (12-2) hosts North Carolina A&T while Delaware State (11-3) hosts Morgan State and Norfolk State (11-3) visits Florida A&M. NSU's Kyle O'Quinn is the likely Player of the Year but he and his teammates have a little work to do if they're to win the regular season crown.

The most important games on Monday take place in the Big South as seeds seven through ten meet in the first round of the Big South tournament. Radford, who has had a tough season due to the lack of success on the court along with NCAA sanctions being handed down, visits a VMI team that swept the regular season series but by a total of just nine points. The second meeting, a 65-60 VMI win at Radford, featured 42 combined turnovers with the Highlanders squandering a 52.6% first half with 16 turnovers. If Radford can slow down Stan Okoye they'll have a shot, and RU's Javonte Green put up 23 and 11 in that meeting.

The other first round game matches Gardner-Webb and High Point, who split their season series with the home team winning each meeting by four points. Scott Cherry's Panthers won 81-77 in overtime on February 4th, shooting an impressive 15-for-28 from beyond the arc to make up from their 32% shooting from inside of it. Nick Barbour was on fire in that contest as he scored 34 points, making seven of ten shots from three-point range. It's pretty clear who the Bulldogs are going to focus on slowing down Monday night. Tashan Newsome is the lone Bulldog averaging double figures (12.0 ppg) but four Gardner-Webb players finished in double figures in the February meeting.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM (5) Kansas at Oklahoma State (ESPN)
7:00 PM (18) Notre Dame at (8) Georgetown (ESPN)
9:00 PM Texas Tech at (14) Baylor (ESPNU)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Mississippi Valley State at Jackson State (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Radford at VMI
7:30 PM Norfolk State at Florida A&M
7:30 PM Hampton at Bethune-Cookman
7:30 PM Morgan State at Delaware State
7:30 PM Gardner-Webb at High Point
7:30 PM Coppin State at Maryland-Eastern Shore
7:30 PM North Carolina Central at South Carolina State
8:00 PM Texas-Pan American at North Dakota (FCS)
8:00 PM North Carolina A&T at Savannah State
8:30 PM Alabama State at Prairie View A&M
9:00 PM Northern Arizona at Montana State
9:00 PM Longwood at Gonzaga (ROOT)
9:00 PM Alabama A&M at Texas Southern
9:00 PM Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Grambling State

Lobos Take Win and Driver's Seat: Wednesday's Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 06:49:39 -0800

Wednesday night's game between New Mexico and San Diego State was a big one for the visitors, as Steve Alford's team didn't own a single win over a Top 25 team. But also on the line was sole possession of first place in the Mountain West after UNLV fell at TCU on Tuesday night.

And the team many expected to win the conference before the season began, New Mexico, took control of the wheel ahead of their matchup with the Runnin' Rebels with a 77-67 win at Viejas Arena. Kendall Williams posted his highest point total since January 7th against North Dakota, scoring a game-high 21 points, and Drew Gordon was a handful inside as he finished with 17 points and 17 rebounds.

"I think Kendall Williams was probably the most important guy, but Drew Gordon was very good with the way he played," remarked SDSU head coach Steve Fisher in his postgame radio interview. "They have guys that stepped up. Whether it was guys that started or coming off the bench, they made it difficult for us."

Speaking of those reserves, the New Mexico bench outscored San Diego State's reserves 33-12 with guard Jamal Fenton providing 15 of those points. The decision-making of both he and Hugh Greenwood was going to be an important aspect of the game to keep track of, and they were solid in combining for just two turnovers (both by Greenwood).

Fenton's scoring was also welcome due to the fact that leading scorer Tony Snell was held scoreless, as he missed all four of his shots from the field. But the Lobos were able to make up for that due to their reserves, which also included Chase Adams scoring eight points in seven minutes of action.

Jamaal Franklin led the Aztecs with 16 points and ten rebounds and Tim Shelton (13 points) and James Rahon (11) also reached double figures, but Chase Tapley couldn't get going as he shot 3-for-11 from the field. As a team SDSU made just three off their fourteen three-point attempts, and when compared to the Lobos' 10-for-19 night that's a tough mountain to climb.

Next up for New Mexico is a home game against UNLV on Saturday, and a win at The Pit would make all three teams 2-2 against each other. That would in turn place more emphasis on how each of the three does against the non-contenders, and New Mexico has yet to drop one of those games. To say the least Saturday offers UNM a golden opportunity to take full control of the Mountain West race.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Illinois drops a close one at home to Purdue, and it may be approacing "that time" in Champaign.
From the orange blazer donned by head coach Bruce Weber to the fact that Illinois had lost five of their last six games, Wednesday's game against Purdue dripped of desperation for the Fighting Illini. But that still wouldn't be enough for Illinois, who fell at home 67-62, dropping their sixth game out of the last seven. While the season still has games left to be played Illinois doesn't have the look of a team poised to turn things around, meaning that the chances of returning to the Big Dance are dwindling away. And in the postgame press conference the words coming from the head coach didn't sound like those of a man confident that his guys could turn things around.

"Instead of creating toughness and developing a team, I coached not to lose this year. That's really sad." To be fair Weber did also say that "it's never too late" to turn things around, and while that is the case one has to wonder if this group has the ability not just physically but mentally to do so. Illinois shot 3-for-21 from beyond the arc against Purdue, and while that didn't reach the depths of SMU's shooting (3-for-29 in a 28-point outing for their entire team) with a 7-footer like Meyers Leonard (4-7 FG, nine points, 12 rebounds) inside that's inexcusable. Until this group executes better offensively they'll continue to struggle, and the longer that happens the louder the "job security" talk gets.

2. Max Good's road warriors tighten up the WCC race with a win at #16 Saint Mary's.
Loyola Marymount may have some mystifying losses to their credit this season, there's little doubt that the Lions are the best road team in the WCC. LMU spoiled "Senior Night" for Saint Mary's as they beat the Gaels 75-60, moving to 7-1 in league road games this season. Drew Viney (17 points) and Anthony Ireland (16 points, seven assists) led the way and Jarred DuBois added 15 off the bench for LMU, who won despite allowing the Gaels to grab 16 offensive rebounds. Rob Jones led the way for SMC with 25 points and 15 rebounds but Matthew Dellavedova was quiet (ten points, six assists) and Stephen Holt was lost for the game early in the second half with a knee injury.

What this result does is drop Saint Mary's into a tie for first place with Gonzaga in the loss column, which more than opens up the possibility of the Bulldogs winning at least a share of their 12th consecutive WCC regular season title. And of course Mark Few's team is the only one to have beaten Loyola Marymount at home, as they beat the Lions 78-59 in Spokane last week. So even with the discussion of NCAA bids stopping at three (adding BYU into the discussion), LMU has the look of a team that can get hot in Las Vegas and leave with the automatic bid.

3. Miami lets a great opportunity slip away as North Carolina grabs 24 offensive rebounds in the win.
North Carolina shot just 5-for-18 from beyond the arc, and while Miami wasn't a great deal better at 8-for-23 the Hurricanes had every opportunity to take advantage of that lack of accuracy. But they couldn't, and UNC's work on the offensive glass was the big reason why. The Tar Heels grabbed 24 offensive rebounds, which resulted in 23 second chance points in their 73-64 victory. North Carolina was also a plus-10 in points from the foul line, as they shot 16-for-23 from the charity stripe (Miami: 6-for-9). Harrison Barnes scored 23 points and grabbed six rebounds and John Henson added a double-double with 14 and 11 (with three blocks) to keep the Heels tied atop the ACC in the loss column (9-2; Duke and Florida State are both 8-2). Durand Scott led four Hurricanes in double figures with 15 points but they were unable to add another big win to their resume, and rebounding was the big reason why.

Quick Hitters

1. While beating Villanova isn't a "marquee" win by any stretch of the imagination, the fact that USF was able to take care of business is a good sign for the Bulls as they head into the stretch run. In the 65-51 win over the Wildcats, Victor Rudd Jr. scored 14 points and Anthony Collins added ten points and seven assists as USF moved to 9-4 in Big East play. The Bulls need to find a resume-building victory at some point, but to say the least this season is progress for a program that taken more than its fair share of lumps during their time in the conference.

2. In a stunning result in the MAAC, Marist beat Loyola (MD) 72-54 in Poughkeepsie as Adam Kemp finished two blocks short of a triple-double (17 points, 11 rebounds and eight blocks) and three other starters scored in double figures. The Red Foxes' win also gives Iona, who won 75-62 at Rider, sole possession of first place with two games remaining on the league slate.

3. Warren Niles scored 24 points and Michael Craion 18 to help lead Oral Roberts past IPFW 75-71 in Fort Wayne, clinching the Summit League regular season crown for the Golden Eagles. ORU has won 17 of their last 18 games and will host Akron as part of the Sears BracketBusters event, and they're going to be a tough out in the conference tournament in a couple of weeks.

4. While New Mexico may have locked up a third bid for the Mountain West, thanks to both Wyoming and Colorado State that may be all the league gets come Selection Sunday. Michael Lyons knocked down six three-pointers and scored 24 points to lead Air Force past the Cowboys 58-53 in Laramie. And in Boise it was Derrick Marks who went the length of the court to score the game-winning bucket with under a second remaining to push Boise State past CSU 70-69. Given their tenuous statuses going into Wednesday, Wyoming and Colorado State may have seen their bubbles burst with these defeats.

5. Back in 2004-05 Savannah State went 0-28, and there were few who thought it possible that the Tigers would one day sit in first place in the MEAC. That day has come thanks to Delaware State's 73-63 overtime win at Norfolk State, with Tahj Tate's 25 points leading the victors. Brandon Wheeless scored 17 points to lead Norfolk State (10-3), who just like DSU (9-3) is a game behind Savannah State (9-2) in the loss column but the Tigers have two games in hand on the Spartans.

6. Neil Watson's game-tying three with less than a second remaining got Southern Miss to overtime in a key Conference USA battle with Tulsa, a game the Golden Eagles went on to win 77-69 to remain tied with Memphis atop the conference standings. Jonathan Mills scored a career-high 25 points and grabbed ten rebounds to lead Southern Miss, whose win also establishes two games of separation between themselves and Memphis and the rest of C-USA.

7. LaMarcus Reed III scored 18 points to help lead UT-Arlington back from a 15-point deficit in beating Stephen F. Austin 51-47 to remain undefeated in Southland play at 12-0. The Mavericks will take a 16-game win streak into Saturday's Sears BracketBusters matchup at Weber State, and with their three-game lead in the loss column UTA is well on their way to the Southland regular season crown.

8. Garrett Stutz knocked down all four of his three-point attempts and finished with 21 points and ten rebounds to lead #24 Wichita State past Missouri State 73-58 to clinch at least a share of the Missouri Valley crown. The Shockers have now won 13 of their last 14 games, and the defeat was of the triple-overtime variety at Drake. Gregg Marshall's team seems to be clicking just as the games become magnified in importance, which is a good thing.

9. Northwestern let a resume-building opportunity slip away as they fell 71-66 at #20 Indiana. While the win gives the Hoosiers their first 20-win season of the Tom Crean era, the visiting Wildcats dropped to 15-10 overall and 5-8 in Big Ten play. John Shurna led Northwestern with 29 points and Frew Crawford added 18, but no other Wildcat was able to reach double figures. Cody Zeller led three Indiana starters in double figures with 23 points and seven rebounds.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Darrion Pellum (Hampton)
33 points, six steals and five rebounds in the Pirates' 82-62 win over Maryland-Eastern Shore.

2. G Nate Wolters (South Dakota State)
30 points (14-18 FG), five assists and three steals in the Jackrabbits' 80-57 win over North Dakota State.

3. G Kendall Williams and F Drew Gordon (New Mexico)
Williams scored 21 points (7-10 FG) and grabbed four rebounds while Gordon finished with 17 points and 17 rebounds in the Lobos' 77-67 win at #15 San Diego State.

Monday Recap: Woodall Leads Pitt Past West Virginia

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:16:12 -0800

It wasn't that long ago that many left the Pittsburgh Panthers for dead, as they were in the midst of what would eventually become an eight-game losing streak. A key factor in the struggles that Jamie Dixon's team experienced was the absence of point guard Tray Woodall, who was out with abdominal and groin injuries. Woodall's back now and he looks to be healthy as well, as he led Pittsburgh to a 72-66 win over rival West Virginia in Morgantown with 24 points, four rebounds and three assists on the night. Woodall scored 16 of his 24 in the first half, proving too difficult for the Mountaineers to stop regardless of who they put on him.

Ashton Gibbs added 15 points for Pittsburgh, who didn't shoot well from three (3-for-10) but did make 21 of their 26 free throws. Also of importance in the win was the fact that Pitt outscored West Virginia 36-26 in the paint, a surprising stat given how much the Mountaineers call on forwards Kevin Jones (21 points, 13 rebounds) and Deniz Kilicli (12 points, nine rebounds). Neither team shot well from the perimeter, making the hustle plays even more of a factor in the outcome. And more times than not it was a Panther who came up with the big play.

"They out-toughed us. We blocked three shots in the first half, and they pick it up and get three-point plays out of it," remarked WVU head coach Bob Huggins when asked what the difference was. "We just don't get to the ball. Four balls went out of bounds and they save it back inbounds and we have a guy here and a guy here and they have a guy behind our two guys and he runs in and catches it and shoots a lay-up and our two guys still have yet to move. We just didn't get to the ball."

Pitt got off to a good start to the second half and they received the added boost of a technical foul assessed to Huggins despite the fact that he was yelling at Truck Bryant for missing a defensive rotation. Given what happened at Syracuse on Saturday another missed call could have been used as an excuse for the Mountaineers to self-destruct but they didn't, eventually cutting the Pitt lead to two points with 8:14 remaining.

This would be as close as the Mountaineers would get as a Panther team that's playing with a great deal of confidence hung on down the stretch. It's been known that this team has a great deal of pride, and players such as Gibbs, Woodall and Nasir Robinson won't allow them to lie down. Can Pittsburgh do enough to work their way back into the NCAA Tournament conversation? Don't rule that out, especially with Woodall back and playing the way he has of late.

"Obviously, I'm very happy for our guys and what they have done and how they have battled and what they have become," said Dixon following the game. "As you coach, you want to talk about what you can become and what you want to be and this is an example of a team that continued to battle and do the work."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Sears BracketBusters pairings announced, and quite a few fan bases aren't pleased with the results.
Monday was a big day in college basketball as the pairings for the upcoming Sears BracketBusters event were announced, and in the end it was tough to find many please fan bases outside of Saint Mary's and Murray State, who will play each other in Murray on February 18th. The Gaels are currently undefeated in the WCC and with a 21-2 record Randy Bennett's team will provide a major test for a Murray State team that's the nation's lone undefeated squad.

Long Beach State, who has taken on all comers in their non-conference schedule, will visit a Creighton team that leads the Missouri Valley and boasts an 8-2 record against RPI Top 100 teams. The 49ers are 2-5 against such teams and their two wins (Xavier and Pittsburgh) lost some luster due to the struggles of those teams, which sparked anger on the part of the Bluejay fan base.

Another fan base that was none too thrilled with their draw was that of Wichita State (3-4 vs. RPI Top 100), who will visit a Davidson (1-3 vs. RPI Top 100) team that owns a win over Kansas (in Kansas City) but has also played nine games (8-1 record) against teams ranked 201st or worse in the NCAA's RPI rankings. George Mason, currently first in the CAA, didn't even merit a televised game (non-televised match ups) in the eyes of the schedule-makers. But a slate that features 19 games against teams ranked 101 or worse in the RPI (17-2 record) may have had something to do with that.

Oral Roberts is another team that has a beef with the process as they drew an Akron team whose profile won't do a whole lot to boost that of the Golden Eagles. Clearly not everyone's going to be thrilled with the match ups, but at this point teams have a couple of weeks to improve their own resumes beforehand. How useful is BracketBusters? You'll likely get different answers based on who you ask, but the formula for getting to the NCAA Tournament hasn't changed with or without the event: win.

2. Michael Dixon Jr's driving bucket pushes Missouri past Texas in Austin.
Following a Kim English three-pointer with 4:44 remaining Frank Haith's Tigers led 63-53 and looked to be a safe bet to close out Texas despite being on the road and getting out-rebounded by a 38-26 margin at game's end. But the Tigers would go nearly three minutes without a made field goal, leaving the door open for a Longhorn team that at times couldn't stay out of its own way on the offensive end.

Texas took advantage and eventually took the lead on a four-point possession triggered by a flagrant 1 foul on Michael Dixon Jr. Dixon Jr. made up for his foul 25 seconds after, scoring on a left-handed shot off glass to give Missouri the 67-66 win. Texas had 27 seconds to find a shot, and while Myck Kabongo did get a look the Longhorns looked too confused to be allowed to play the possession out as they had a timeout remaining.

"We had two things ready: one for man and one for zone," said Texas head coach Rick Barnes. "And the one for the zone, we didn't move or cut the way we needed to. But we knew. During the timeout, we said, 'You've got to be ready for a zone.' And what we wanted to do, we didn't do as hard and effective as we had to do it."

Dixon Jr. scored 21 points off the bench while Phil Pressey and Ricardo Ratliffe scored 13 apiece for the Tigers, who remained tied for first place in the Big 12 ahead of a huge battle with rival Kansas this coming weekend. Even with the rebounding and free throw (16-8 Texas edge in points) numbers working against them Missouri found a way to win, and that's what good teams do.

3. While Mississippi Valley State has a sold grip on first place in the SWAC, the race for the two-seed became much more intriguing.
The Delta Devils are now 9-0 in conference play following their 77-59 win over Grambling, and while Southern is 7-2 the Jaguars are ineligible for postseason play so they can't wrestle away the top seed for the conference tournament. Texas Southern is eligible, but their 66-59 overtime loss at Alabama State despite leading by as many as 18 points dropped them to 6-3 in SWAC play and they're now just a game ahead of the Hornets and Prairie View A&M at the halfway point.

Neither team shot well from the field but it was Alabama State who took better advantage of their own misses, grabbing 21 offensive rebounds (OR%: 47.7%) and out-rebounding the Tigers 47-36 on the night. Ivory White led the way for the victors with 21 points and nine rebounds, Phillip Crawford added 17 and Ryan Watts scored 15 points off the bench. Texas Southern's reserves outscored Alabama State's 40-19 (Fred Sturdivant scored 16 of the 40) but that didn't matter much due to the extra opportunities they gave up on the glass and the fact that the starters combined to shoot 8-for-25 from the field.

Next up for Texas Southern is a trip to Prairie View, which means that the race for the two-seed could become even more entertaining should the Tigers lose. Up 48-30 with 9:04 remaining the odds of Tony Harvey's team closing the game out looked to be good, but when you make just one field goal and turn the ball over seven times down the stretch that can come back to burn you. That's exactly what happened to Texas Southern, and as a result they now find themselves in a situation they could have easily avoided.

Quick Hitters

1. Clemson will be without the services of junior forward Milton Jennings at Virginia on Tuesday night as he's suspended due to a failure to comply with the team's academic standards. Jennings is averaging 8.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game for the Tigers, who are currently 11-9 overall and 3-3 in the ACC.

2. The strangest game of the night took place in Norfolk as Coppin State handed Norfolk State their first MEAC loss by the final score of 87-82. Fang Mitchell's team led 35-13 at the half, only to survive a staggering 69-point second half from the Spartans to move to 6-3 in the MEAC. Kyle O'Quinn, who can make a serious claim for being the nation's most underrated player, led NSU with 27 points and 18 rebounds.

3. Belmont and Mercer both took care of business, with the Bruins beating North Florida 83-69 in Nashville while Mercer won 75-66 at Florida Gulf Coast. Kerron Johnson led four Belmont players in double figures with 16 points and Blake Jenkins added 15 and seven rebounds, while Langston Hall's 20 points and six assists led Mercer to their win. USC Upstate is a game back in the loss column but after them the rest of the A-Sun is three games back.

4. Southeast Missouri State moved to 7-2 in the OVC with a 74-53 win at Eastern Illinois, and they remain in second place (two games behind Murray State) as a result. Marland Smith scored 19 points and Tyler Stone added 18 and ten boards for the Redhawks, who have won eight of their last ten games.

5. With head coach Bobby Cremins taking a leave of absence from the team due to an undisclosed health issue, it was good to see Charleston pick up a win. The Cougars won 68-52 at Samford as Antwaine Wiggins scored 25 points to lead the way.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Kevin Murphy (Tennessee Tech)
Murphy went off in the Golden Eagles' 98-80 win over SIU-Edwardsville, scoring 50 points (16-21 FG) and dishing out seven assists.

2. F/C Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State)
27 points and 18 rebounds in the Spartans' 87-82 loss to Coppin State.

3. G Tray Woodall (Pittsburgh)
24 points (8-12 FG), four rebounds and three assists in the Panthers' 72-66 win at West Virginia.

Texas vs. #4 Missouri: Monday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:22:33 -0800

With the final month of regular season play just two days away, the focus turns to the resumes that teams have put together in hopes of being one of the 68 teams in the NCAA Tournament. While Frank Haith's Missouri (19-2, 6-2) has no such concerns at this point the team they visit on Monday night isn't in the same position. Rick Barnes' young Texas (13-8, 3-5) need to improve their resume and soon if they're to return to the NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns' best wins to date are home wins over Temple and Iowa State, and with a 12-1 record at home Texas is more than a tough out at the Erwin Events Center.

Missouri last won in Austin in 2009, which isn't a bad streak when considering the fact that they would only play once a season before the drop to ten conference teams. Frank Haith's team has lost to Kansas State and Oklahoma State on the road with rebounding being a key factor, just as it was in their win at Baylor. Texas is a slightly better rebounding team when considering margin but they also allow teams to grab just over 13 offensive rebounds per game, which could be an issue with Ricardo Ratliffe (14.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg) averaging 2.9 offensive rebounds per game.

Ratliffe leads the nation in field goal percentage due to the fact that he rarely attempts a shot more than five feet away from the basket. Texas will counter with a frontline that goes four deep but the most talented players are the least experienced. Seniors Alexis Wangmene and Clint Chapman share time with freshmen Jaylen Bond and Jonathan Holmes, and this four-man group averages a combined 22.9 points and 20.0 rebounds per game. If they can get Ratliffe in foul trouble the dynamic inside changes, because even though Steve Moore has made solid contributions there's a drop in production when Ratliffe is saddled with foul trouble.

The problem for Texas lies on the perimeter, because even though they're talented the Longhorns lack experience when compared to the Tigers. Phil Pressey (9.8 ppg, 6.1 apg) is one of the best point guards in the country, and his playmaking ability will be a serious test for Texas freshman Myck Kabongo (9.9 ppg, 5.5 apg) on the defensive end. Pressey sets the table for Missouri's capable rotation of perimeter scorers, from leader Marcus Denmon to wing Kim English to sixth man Michael Dixon Jr. and those are just three of the benefactors. Texas calls on junior J'Covan Brown (19.7 ppg, 4.0 apg) to make big shots but while his decision-making has improved during his time in Austin there are still moments where he strays off the path.

Freshmen Shelden McClellan and Julien Lewis are averaging a combined 19.0 points per game and with the majority of Missouri's defensive attention likely being on Brown, at least one of these two will need to make an impact on the offensive end. Missouri boasts the better efficiency numbers on both ends of the floor, and that can't be the case for the Longhorns if they're to pull off the win. If Texas can also attack the offensive glass, as they enter with an offensive rebounding percentage of 39.7%, and cash in on some second-chance points they'll have a shot. Do that and get Ratliffe in early foul trouble, and it could be a good night on the 40 Acres.

Also of note are a pair of conference rivalry games, as Pittsburgh visits Morgantown to take on West Virginia and Penn hosts Princeton in an important Ivy League battle. Jamie Dixon's Panthers have won two straight games and with a healthy Tray Woodall at the point they're a much better team than the one that lost eight straight games. As for West Virginia they'll be looking to rebound from a tough loss at Syracuse, one marred by a missed goaltending violation in the final seconds of the game. Kevin Jones is one of the frontrunners for Big East Player of the Year at this point while their young guards have shown signs of improvement.

As for the Ivy League battle, Jerome Allen's Quakers remain undefeated in conference play (and tied with Harvard in the loss column) while Princeton is 1-1 in league play and needs a win to remain a major player in the race. Penn guard Zach Rosen has to be considered the best player in the Ancient Eight right now and classmate Tyler Bernardini is no slouch himself. Forward Ian Hummer and guard Doug Davis lead the way for the Tigers, who split their opening weekend of play with a loss at Cornell followed by a win at Columbia.

In the A-Sun Mercer visits Florida Gulf Coast in a key game for both teams, but moreso for Bob Hoffman's Bears as they're currently tied for the league lead with Belmont. Justin Cecil and Jakob Gollon lead a balanced offensive attack for Mercer, while Sherwood Brown and Bernard Thompson lead the way for FGCU, who also have one of the conference's better freshmen performers in point guard Brent Comer. Coppin State visits undefeated Norfolk State in an important MEAC battle and Southeast Missouri State looks to hold their two-game edge in the loss column for second place in the OVC as they visits a struggling Eastern Illinois squad.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM (4) Missouri at Texas (ESPN)

NCAA Division I Games
6:15 PM USC Upstate at Jacksonville State
7:00 PM Kennesaw State at Stetson
7:00 PM Princeton at Pennsylvania
7:00 PM Pittsburgh at West Virginia (ESPN)
7:00 PM Palm Beach Atlantic at UCF
7:00 PM James Madison at East Tennessee State
7:00 PM Morgan State at Hampton (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Western Carolina at Wofford
7:05 PM Mercer at Florida Gulf Coast
7:30 PM Jacksonville at Lipscomb
7:30 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore at North Carolina Central
7:30 PM Howard at South Carolina State
8:00 PM North Florida at Belmont
8:00 PM Southeast Missouri State at Eastern Illinois
8:00 PM Delaware State at North Carolina A&T
8:00 PM Coppin State at Norfolk State
8:00 PM Charleston at Samford
8:00 PM Austin Peay at Tennessee State
8:00 PM SIU-Edwardsville at Tennessee Tech
8:30 PM Prairie View A&M at Alabama A&M
8:30 PM Jackson State at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
8:30 PM Grambling State at Mississippi Valley State
8:30 PM Northern Colorado at Northern Arizona (FCS)
9:00 PM Texas Southern at Alabama State (ESPNU)

Monday Recap: The More Things Change...

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:05:39 -0800

Monday's showdown between #3 Baylor and #7 Kansas gave the visiting Bears a great chance to make the statement that they were ready to dethrone a program that's won at least a share of the last seven Big 12 titles. Well while there's still plenty of basketball to be played before the regular season champion is determined, it's safe to say that Bill Self's team has no plans to simply hand over the top spot. Thomas Robinson outplayed the highly-touted Baylor frontcourt, scoring 27 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, and Tyshawn Taylor scored a game-high 28 points and dished out six assists as the Jayhawks rolled to the 92-74 victory.

"We played terrific. That's the best game we've played all year," remarked Self. "The energy level was great and we got off to a great start."

Baylor looked to be every bit Kansas' equal after the Jayhawks jumped out to a 17-9 lead, putting together an 18-5 run over a nearly seven-minute stretch to take a 27-22 lead with 6:01 remaining. But to sustain such play at Allen Fieldhouse is difficult to say the least, and Kansas would close the half on a 17-2 run to take a 39-29 lead into the break. Taylor, who capped the half with a three-pointer from the top of the key, led the way with 14 points while Robinson added 12 and five boards. Rebounding was an issue all night for Baylor, who ignored the need to box out and it cost them.

Kansas grabbed 15 offensive rebounds on the night, scoring 17 second-chance points, and out-rebounded the Bears 39-24. And if that wasn't enough the Jayhawks outscored Baylor 48-34 in the paint and all five starters reached double figures in scoring. Jeff Withey, the player who had to show up lest Robinson be left to deal with the Baylor frontcourt by himself, posted a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds in addition to three blocked shots. With Baylor's starting frontcourt scoring 49 of their 74 points Withey had to be a factor and he was.

"When we get Jeff going, it really gets a lot of us going, and a lot of people don't know that," said Elijah Johnson, who finished with 11 points and five rebounds. "Jeff is a key player to our team, especially with getting us started. When he is on track, it can be a long night for some teams."

Perry Jones III led Scott Drew's club with 18 points and Quincy Miller scored 17 but it wasn't enough to avoid their first defeat of the year. Pierre Jackson scored 11 points off the bench in his sixth-man role to go along with 11 assists, but his solid performance was eclipsed by what Taylor was able to do. Provided they improve their rebounding, which is surprisingly mediocre given their size, Baylor will be a factor in both the Big 12 and national title races. But the biggest lesson to come out of Monday night is that to win the Big 12 the road once again goes through Lawrence.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Marquette climbs out of an 18-2 hole to beat Louisville at home.
Down 18-2, Marquette head coach Buzz Williams took what many would judge to be an unconventional approach to dealing with his team. He didn't flip out or panic, and as a result his lack of an overreaction proved to be the best move. The Golden Eagles would outscore Louisville 32-12 from that point forward to take a 34-30 halftime lead on their way to the 74-63 win at the Bradley Center. Darius Johnson-Odom led four Marquette players in double figures with 19 points, Davante Gardner scored 17 and grabbed six rebounds and Jae Crowder posted a double-double (14 points, 11 rebounds), but the foul line proved to be the difference on Monday afternoon.

Marquette made 16 of their 18 free throws while Louisville failed to take advantage of their opportunities, making four of ten from the charity stripe. Russ Smith scored 20 points to lead the Cardinals, who were once again without the injured Kyle Kuric, and their half-court offense remains an issue. Louisville finished with 17 assists but also turned the ball over 17 times, and the absence of Kuric severely hampers the bench production as Smith moves into the starting lineup. Marquette's reserves, led by Todd Mayo (11 points), outscored the Louisville reserves 15-3. Marquette could have lost their composure and allowed the Cardinals to run away with the game at 18-2 but they stayed the course and ultimately won.

2. Syracuse continues the best start in school history with a win over Pittsburgh.
Despite their recent track record of futility against Pittsburgh heading into Monday's game at the Carrier Dome (no current player had ever beaten the Panthers), few expected the top-ranked Orange to struggle with Jamie Dixon's club. And after 20 minutes of play it looked as if Syracuse was going to roll to their 20th consecutive win as they led 35-26. Pitt couldn't take care of the basketball, and their 11 first-half turnovers led to 12 Syracuse points. But the Panthers were able to remain within striking distance by hitting the glass,out-rebounding the Orange 22-14. That would continue in the second half, and while the Orange went on to win 71-63 the 40-28 disadvantage on the glass is something that sticks out for Jim Boeheim's 20-0 squad.

Dion Waiters led five players in double figures with 16 points and Fab Melo posted a double-double with ten points and ten assists while Pitt was led by three players who scored ten points apiece. But just like Louisville, the Panthers' woes at the foul line prevented them from making the game uncomfortably close for Syracuse. Syracuse made 20 of their 23 free throws while the Panthers shot 12-for-23 with Nasir Robinson missing six of his eight attempts.

Be it free throws or layups Pittsburgh is not completing the "simple" plays right now, and that's a big reason why they're off to their worst start in Big East play since the 1995-96 season. As for Syracuse, while they were the unanimous choice for the top spot in the coaches' poll this week there's still plenty to improve upon. For a team that can achieve special things this season, this is just one step on the road they hope leads them to New Orleans.

3. So much for the SWAC showdown, as Mississippi Valley State rolls Southern.
With Southern entering their road game in Itta Bena just a game out of first place in the loss column there was reason to believe that Rob Spivery's Jaguars would challenge the Delta Devils. Twenty-one turnovers later however Southern found themselves on the wrong end of a 77-56 result, as they also shot 38.8% from the field and gave up 19 offensive rebounds. Five MVSU players reached double figures with Cor-J Cox scoring a game-high 23 off the bench and Paul Crosby grabbed 14 rebounds in addition to scoring 18 points.

To say the least it's a lot easier to win when scoring 27 points off of 21 turnovers and 23 second-chance points, and as a result Sean Woods' Delta Devils find themselves in sole possession of first place with a 5-0 league mark. With five teams within two games of each other in the loss column it's anyone's guess as to how the race will shake out, but the Delta Devils' win keeps them above the rest for the time being.

Quick Hitters

1. From Sunday, there were two huge differences between Ohio State's 80-63 win over Indiana and their loss to the Hoosiers in the first meeting. One, Aaron Craft was much better running the show (seven assists and no turnovers; had six turnovers in Bloomington). And two, Lenzelle Smith Jr. went off to the tune of 28 points and seven rebounds on 10-for-12 shooting. If Smith Jr. can be a consistent supplement to William Buford, Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas, look out.

2. Missouri took care of business ahead of their meeting with Baylor in Waco on Saturday, beating Texas A&M 70-51. The point guard play wasn't close with Phil Pressey outplaying Dash Harris and that's one reason as to why Billy Kennedy's team has struggled this season. The Aggies need more from their guards if they're to have a shot at climbing into the middle of the Big 12 pack.

3. Logan Aronhalt scored 20 points and Mike Black 13 to lead Albany, but when two starters manage to go scoreless it's tough to win on the road. Guards D.J. Irving and Darryl Partin combined to score 32 points as Boston University beat the Great Danes 70-57 to move to 4-1 in America East play. The Terriers are a half-game behind Stony Brook for first place, as the Seawolves moved to 5-1 with a 71-62 win over New Hampshire.

4. In a matchup of undefeated (in league play) teams Norfolk State won 74-66 at Coppin State. Kyle O'Quinn, who has to be the frontrunner for MEAC Player of the Year right now, scored 24 points and grabbed 19 rebounds and Pendarvis Williams scored a game-high 25 points. The Spartans sit atop the MEAC standings with a 4-0 record.

5. Christian Williams made just three of twelve shots from the field but his three-pointer with 22 seconds remaining gave Jackson State a 52-51 lead on their way to the 54-51 win over previously undefeated Texas Southern. Jenirro Bush led the Tigers with 23 points and eight rebounds.

6. Memphis freshman Adonis Thomas could be done for the season due to an injury suffered in practice on Friday, according to Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com. A surgery that would repair a tendon between Thomas' ankle and foot would necessitate a recovery period of two to three months.

Three Notable Performances

1. F/C Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State)
24 points and 19 rebounds in the Spartans' 74-66 win over Coppin State.

2. F Thomas Robinson and G Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas)
Robinson scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Taylor put up 28 points and six assists in the Jayhawks' 92-74 whipping of #3 Baylor.

3. G Melquan Bolding (Fairleigh Dickinson)
38 points, five rebounds and three steals in the Knights' 87-83 loss to Longwood.

Wednesday Recap: Bearcats' Small Lineup a Success in Game One

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:32:49 -0800

With suspensions ruling out two of their key interior players for the next six games, many wondered what Mick Cronin's Cincinnati Bearcats would do to make up for the absence of Yancy Gates and Cheikh Mbodj. Without a consistent scoring option in the paint the strategy was to let the guards go to work, and that they did in the Bearcats' 78-58 win at Wright State. Sean Kilpatrick, who was a non-factor in their loss at Xavier on Saturday, scored a game-high 20 points (6-12 3PT) while JaQuon Parker added 14 points and all five starters finished in double figures.

Freshman Jermaine Sanders, one of the players expected to benefit from those losses as more minutes have become available, scored nine points and grabbed four rebounds in 18 minutes of play and point guard Cashmere Wright dished out eight assist to three turnovers to go along with 12 points. Cincinnati fired away from deep throughout the night, making 14 of their 32 shots from beyond the arc. The Bearcats average seven makes and 17 attempts from beyond the arc on the season, but with Gates out those numbers figure to increase until he returns.

A.J. Pacher and John Balwigaire scored 11 points apiece to lead the Raiders, who shot 47.5% from the field but turned the ball over 13 times and were out-rebounded 31-22. Two other areas that cost Billy Donlon's team were points in the paint (22-18 Cincinnati) and second-chance points (23-2 Cincinnati), and these are areas that one wouldn't expect Cincinnati to control given their lack of interior depth. But they found a way to do so, and with the offensive issues that Wright State's had this season (averaging 55 points per game) the Bearcats' fast start proved to be too much to overcome.

The good news for Cincinnati is that their next three games, Radford, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Chicago State, are all winnable games that they should be able to win despite the depth issues. And with a loss to Presbyterian already on their resume it's critical that the Bearcats take care of business and avoid any more bad losses as there won't be another marquee non-conference opportunity available. Game one offered a blueprint for the Bearcats with regards to how they'll score with Gates out of the lineup, with the guards needing to take on greater scoring responsibilities. It also won't hurt if they can knock down shots from deep at a similar clip to Wednesday's mark.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Did an injury impact UCLA's defensive efficiency? It very well could have.
With forward Travis Wear missing Wednesday's game against Eastern Washington with a skin infection on his left foot there were minutes up for grabs in the frontcourt for someone. That turned out to be Anthony Stover, who missed the early portion of the season with a shoulder injury, and he took full advantage of the increased minutes in the Bruins' 60-47 win over the Eagles. Stover played 18 minutes but blocked three shots and grabbed three rebounds, providing the spark UCLA needed on the defensive end of the floor. EWU shot a season-low 25.9% from the field and turned the ball over 12 times to just five assists on the night.

Cliff Ederaine and Colin Chiverton had particularly rough nights as they combined to make just eight of thirty-one shots for a combined 21 points. Lazeric Jones had another solid scoring performance for the Bruins with 19 points to go along with six rebounds and four assists and Tyler Lamb added 14, but for Ben Howland's team to be successful they have to be better defensively. Wednesday was a step in the right direction, and they can partially thank Stover for that.

2. Charleston recovers from a slow start to defend their home floor against Tennessee.
To the surprise of many Cuonzo Martin's Volunteers led College of Charleston by as many as 11 points in the first half at TD Arena. But as the game wore on Bobby Cremins' Cougars got back into the game and would lead by as many as 14 in the second half on their way to the 71-65 win. This is the second straight season that Charleston has beaten Tennessee, and the tandem of Antwaine Wiggins and Andrew Lawrence led the way on Wednesday.

Wiggins scored a game-high 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds while Lawrence added 14 points, five steals and four assists. Charleston scored 22 points off of 16 Tennessee turnovers, and the six-point edge in that category proved to be the difference. The Cougars were also aided by a ten-point edge in points from the foul line (14-4), moving to 8-1 on the season as a result. It took some time but the Cougars were able to put together a stretch worthy of a team looking to compete for a conference title. The key now is to consistently put forth that kind of effort for entire games.

3. Princeton's three-pointer at the buzzer hands Rider their tenth loss of the season.
According to The Beatles, "one is the loneliest number", and in addition to that fact it was also the most important number in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Mack Darrow made just one shot on the night: a three-pointer as time expired to give Princeton a 72-71 overtime win at Rider to drop the Broncs to a stunning 1-10 mark on the season. The Tigers probably should have sewn things up in regulation as they led 65-61 with less than 30 seconds remaining after trailing by as many as 16 late in the first half, but the Broncs sent the game into overtime thanks to four Brandon Penn points.

Things remained tight in the extra session but Rider left the door open by missing three of their final four free throws. Douglas Davis would take Daniel Stewart's second miss and drive down the court, finding Darrow for the game-winning bucket. The Tigers will be a factor in the Ivy League race but it's very difficult to say the same about Tommy Dempsey's Broncs in the MAAC. A team that many expected to finish in the top four at the very least may struggle to finish outside of the bottom four at their current pace, and that's something that no one familiar with Rider's talent expected in October.

Quick Hitters

1. In the lone afternoon game of the day Iona picked up a good road victory at Richmond. In the 88-79 win Scott Machado dished out 15 assists and scored 13 points while Mike Glover led the way with 24 points and eight rebounds. Iona shot 67.7% from the field in the second half and finished the game with an offensive efficiency of 118.9. Richmond opponents average an efficiency of 98.5 on the season.

2. Jared Sullinger didn't start for Ohio State but he did return to the lineup, scoring 12 points and grabbing ten rebounds in 25 minutes of action as the Buckeyes beat USC Upstate 82-58. Ohio State shot 56.9% from the field on the night, beginning to pull away late in the first half thanks to 13 forced turnovers. Deshaun Thomas led the way with 23 points, his ninth straight double-figure scoring outing.

3. Kyle O'Quinn scored 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Quasim Pugh scored 10 points in 15 minutes off the bench as Norfolk State beat LIU 73-62. The Spartans limited LIU to 33.8% shooting from the field and 5-for-21 from beyond the arc.

4. FIU led for much of the night at Maryland but couldn't seal the deal, allowing the Terrapins to escape with 65-61 victory in front of a sparse crowd at the Comcast Center. FIU shot 35.5% from the field in the second half, and for the game Maryland outscored the Golden Panthers 22-9 from the foul line.

5. It isn't far-fetched to think that Denver may be the best team in the state of Colorado. Joe Scott's Pioneers beat Northern Colorado 71-65 in Greeley with Brian Stafford (16 points) and Royce O'Neale (14) leading the way offensively and Chris Udofia blocking three shots. Denver visits Colorado State on January 11th, and a win in Fort Collins would be another piece of evidence in support of them being the best in the state.

6. Baylor took care of business in their 69-42 win over Bethune-Cookman, but the real test comes on Saturday as they visit BYU. The Bears limited Bethune-Cookman to 34.8% shooting and Pierre Jackson scored 12 points and dished out four assists in 23 minutes off the bench.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State)
22 points, 14 rebounds and four assists in the Spartans' 73-62 win over Long Island.

2. G Scott Machado (Iona)
15 assists, 13 points and six rebounds in the Gaels' 88-79 win at Richmond.

3. F Ian Hummer (Princeton)
21 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and four steals in the Tigers' 72-71 overtime win at Rider.

College Hoops Monday Recap: Disciplined Wolverines Outclass Memphis

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 23:17:23 -0800

One of the keys in playing against Michigan is to remain composed and execute your game plan. Getting away from what you do well in attempts to get the Wolverines to play a style other than their own more times than not results in a loss. That was the lesson for the Memphis Tigers, who in spite of their athletic talents have some maturing to do before referring to themselves as sure-fire national title contenders. Tim Hardaway Jr. led Michigan with 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists and freshman guard Trey Burke added 14 points and four assists in the Wolverines' 73-61 victory, and they'll take on Duke in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational.

The problems for the Tigers came on both ends of the floor. Offensively Josh Pastner's team struggled to create good looks for themselves, instead settling for contested shots as they became more perplexed by the Michigan defense. Memphis shot 33% for the game and just 31% in the second half, and their efficiency numbers were a far cry from the marks reached in their season-opening win over Belmont. Memphis also had trouble defensively as Michigan shot 54% from the field, a number bolstered by making 70% of their two-point shots.

That more than made up for the Wolverines shooting 30% from beyond the arc, and for some reason the two teams took the same number of three-pointers (20) despite the fact that Memphis would have better served to attack the basket. Charles Carmouche led the Tigers with 14 points (their lone player in double figures), and he seemed to be the only player with any kind of idea as to what Michigan was trying to do defensively. Will Barton made just three of his twelve shots, and he was a little too wild for his (or the Tigers') good on that end of the floor. Memphis' running game was neutralized, limiting their offense for much of the game.

"I think that was one of the key things we did is communicate really well to stop the ball coming down the fast break," said Hardaway, Jr. "And just pointing out to your man who you [have], and I think communication is the whole key to having a successful defensive team on transition."

Michigan closed the first half on a 10-0 run sparked by their changing defenses, incorporating man-to-man and 2-3 zone looks as they frustrated the Tigers. There was brief "conference" at mid-court as the teams left the floor at the break, but that would change little for Memphis as the Wolverines continued to build on their lead in the second half. As a result Michigan gets a shot at the team that ended their season, and Memphis has the chance to use this tough lesson in a constructive manner.

"They hit some big shots in the second half, and it's just one of those things where we're playing a very good Michigan team, and we're a very good team," said Pastner. "That's why we're playing these type of games to see what adjustments we need to make. It's very early in the year, and this will give us a barometer of things we need to get better at."

Other Notable Happenings

1. J'Covan Brown's an impressive player, but his error in judgment sparked an NC State comeback.
Even with Brown picking up his fourth foul with 8:25 remaining the Longhorns seemed to be in good shape as they held a 65-52 lead in the third place game of the Ticket City Legends Classic. But Brown uttered one of those "magic words", and the resulting technical foul was also his fifth personal foul. From that point forward Mark Gottfried's Wolfpack took full advantage, continuing what would become a 19-1 run on their way to the 77-74 victory.

C.J. Leslie led the way with 17 points and the return of Scott Wood (16 points) also played a role in the comeback from 18 points down, but while this is definitely a boost for the Wolfpack the outcome highlighted how important Brown is to Texas. Myck Kabongo has a way to go before he's truly ready to run the show in crunch time, meaning that Brown has to remain on the floor. Silly mistakes like his technical foul will do the Longhorns no favors if allowed to become a trend.

2. Missouri and California put together impressive performances at the CBE Classic and will meet tomorrow night.
Notre Dame received a boost as Tim Abromaitis returned to the lineup, scoring 22 points and grabbing eight rebounds on the night. But the Irish were no match for Frank Haith's Missouri Tigers, who shot 63% from the field in the first half and scored 53 points on their way to an 87-58 win. The Tigers' guards, led by Marcus Denmon (26 points) and Phil Pressey (17 points), were simply too quick for Notre Dame in a dominant performance. And the team that many were concerned about due to the loss of Laurence Bowers out-rebounded Notre Dame 38-24, and while that disparity was affected by the disparity in shooting percentages (Mizzou 58%, Notre Dame 37%) the Tigers more than held their own.

They'll likley encounter a tougher challenge on Tuesday night as they take on the Cal Golden Bears, who snapped out of a slow start to beat Georgia 70-46. Cal gained their separation with a 14-0 run to end the first half and things only got worse after the break. Cal head coach Mike Montgomery credited the fact that the Bulldogs run a lot of sets that are similar to his own (Georgia head coach Mark Fox was an assistant of Trent Johnson's at Nevada, and Johnson was an assitant of Montgomery's at Stanford), and adding the Bears' experience to that made it nearly impossible for the Bulldogs to prevent things from getting out of hand. Harper Kamp led three Cal players in double figures with 16 points and defensively the Golden Bears limited Georgia to 32.8% shooting from the field. Tuesday's title game should be entertaining, but at the very least it will be a challenge for both.

3. Brad Tinsley's shot in the final seconds gives Vanderbilt the Legends Classic title.
Kevin Stallings' Commodores were locked in a tough battle with Oregon State at the Izod Center, never leading by more than nine points (45-36) and going back and forth with the Beavers in crunch time. It took a jumper from the right elbow from senior guard Brad Tinsley with 4.5 seconds remaining to give Vanderbilt the 64-62 win in a game that both teams can take positives from. One key for Vandy was the defense of Jeffery Taylor, who drew the assignment of guarding Jared Cunningham. Cunningham scored just nine points on the night, but OSU was able to hang around thanks to Devon Collier (19 points) and Ahmad Starks (16 points).

Another key contributor for Oregon State was Eric Moreland, who chipped in eight points and eight rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench. While it's still extremely early in the season Craig Robinson's group does not feel like previous Oregon State teams, ones that seemed to be locks to plummet to the bottom of the (then) Pac-10. As for Vanderbilt, these are the kinds of games that people have had questions about in March: are they tough enough to make the plays needed to win tight games? John Jenkins scored 14 points with Cunningham working hard to make his night difficult, and Lance Goulbourne made some key plays to supplement the efforts of Jenkins and Taylor. The game wasn't pretty, as Vandy turned the ball over 22 times, but winning an ugly game at this stage could pay dividends down the road.

Quick Hitters

1. While many will choose to focus on the 18 points scored by freshman Austin Rivers, the 17 points scored by Ryan Kelly in their 77-67 win over Tennessee could prove to be a more important development for Duke down the line. The Plumlee brothers struggled offensively, but if Kelly can build on this performance the front line becomes that much more formidable.

2. The stunning aspect of UMass' 82-46 win over Boston College wasn't the fact that the Minutemen won so much as the margin. For the Eagles to lose at home by 36 points underlines just how far Steve Donahue's team has to go, and their youth won't help matters in the ACC either.

3. Just one week after losing to Marquette by 30 points in Milwaukee, Norfolk State fought until the end and had a shot to win the title game of the Paradise Jam. But while the Golden Eagles survived 59-57, look for the Spartans to contend for the MEAC title. One thing that the Spartans can call on is their matchup zone, which pestered Marquette throughout.

4. Reeves Nelson sat out the first half of UCLA's win over Chaminade after missing the team flight out to Maui. The second half was more about the entire team finally bringing the level of effort needed to be a successful team than the return of Nelson, and it will be interesting to see if the Bruins can bring it against Kansas.

5. The three-point shooting struggles of last season are a thing of the past for Florida, who made ten threes in their 78-65 win over Wright State. Billy Donovan's team has made ten or more three-pointers in each of their games this season, and Bradley Beal and Kenny Boynton both scored 22 points on Monday night.

6. Another surprising margin of victory: George Washington beating Detroit 86-73, and the Colonials led by as many as 26 points in the second half. Tony Taylor led the way with 22 points and six assists and Lasan Kromah added 17 in the most impressive win of first-year head coach Mike Lonergan's short tenure.

7. This win won't make headlines nationwide, but Manhattan's 85-83 win over Fresno State is a good result for first-year head coach Steve Masiello. Donovan Kates and Mike Alvarado scored 14 points apiece to lead five Jaspers in double figures as they moved to 3-1 on the season.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Jared Sullinger (Ohio State)
27 points, 13 rebounds and three steals in the Buckeyes' 85-50 win over North Florida.

2. G/F Jason Guerrier (Albany)
28 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in 28 minutes off the bench in the Great Danes' 85-49 win over Monmouth.

3. F Thomas Robinson (Kansas)
20 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks in the Jayhawks' 67-63 win over Georgetown.